Lighting fixture



Dec. 3, 1929. n. N. THOMPSON 1,737,622

LIGHTING FIXTURE Filed March 10 1926 Patented Dec. 3, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQE DON N. THOMPSON, DECEASED, LATE OF SY-RAOUSE, NEW XORK, BY EVA C. THOMPSON, EXECUTRIX, OF SYRACUSE, NEWv YORK, ASSIGNOR TO PASS & SEYMOUR INC., OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEVJ YORK LIGHTING FIXTURE Application filed March 10, 1926.

rlhis invention relates to a lighting fixture and more particularly to a wall type of lighting fixture formed entirely of moldable insulating material, such as porcelain or the like.

It is a general object of this invention to provide a novel and improved form of lighting fixture.

More particularly it isv an object of the present invention to provide a lighting fixture of the wall type formed entirely of insulating material provided with a ring or sleeve for retaining a socket, together with means for securing said socket in said ring.

Another object of the present invent-ion consists in the provision of a lighting fixture provided with a pull chain socket the bottom of which is exposed and forms a chain guide.

Still another object of the present invention consists in a novel arrangement of separable socket and lighting fixture whereby a shade holder ring or the like engages the screw shell of the socket to retain it in position in the fixture.

A still further object of the present invention consists in the provision of novel interlocking means between a socket and a fixture which is adapted to enclose the same to allow for ready access of the socket forwiring and yet to retain it securely in position in the fixture.

Other and further objects will be more apparent as the description proceeds.

F or a full understanding of the present invention reference should be had to the accompanying drawings andV following specification wherein as disclosed by way of example only a single embodiment 0f the same, with the understanding, however, that various changes may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the attached claims.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section thru a fixture constructed according to the present invention, the socket being shown in elevation;

Figure 2 is a partial transverse section on line 2 2 of Figure l;

Serial No. 93,800.

Figure 3 is an elevation of the separable socket structure shown removed from the fixture; and l Figure 4 is a vertical section thru a shade holder ring which may be used with the fixture.

The invention contemplates the provision of a wall bracket or fixture for use in bathrooms, kitchens and similar places inclined to be moist and for this reason it is preferably formed of porcelain altho the invention is not limited to this use or to the formation of the iixture of porcelain. It may be formed of any moldable insulating material such as bakelite or the like and may be made in any color to harmonize with the surroundings. The essential features comprise the absence of any exposed metal parts which may tarnish or require cleaning. The exposed parts being all of insulating material, having a smooth surface, may readily be cleaned and offer but little attraction for dust.

Referring to the drawings there is disclosed at 10 a base plate which may be of any desired shape such as elliptical and of a suitable size to cover a wall box or like device forming outlet for conductor wires. For convenience in mounting the base plate l0 against a lwall or other mounting place, it is provided with a bridge member 1l, adapted to be secured to a wall box, and adjustably securedto a plate 12 which is fastened to the base plate 10 by means of screws such as 13. The bridge member 11 can be rotated to any position and there secured by means of the adjusting 8 screws 14 so that no matter what the angie of the wall box, the fixture may be placed vertically. The feature of this securing means is fully disclosed and claimed in my co-pending application, Serialv No. 20,209, filed April 2, 1925, and need not be more fully discussed here. A bracket 15 of anydesired shape projects normally from the face of the plate 10 and hasat its outer end a sleeve 16 provided with the vertical bore 17 extending completely therethru from top to bottom. The parts 10, 15 and 16 are preferably molded integral from some such insulating material as porcelain. Y

The sleeve 16 is intended to receive in its mi) bore and electrically insulate the current carrying parts of a socket structure best disclosed in Figures 1 and 3. The socket structure here shown is of the pull chain type altho it is obvious that it may be of any of the other well known types. The socket struct-nre comprises an upper insulating button 18, of a diameter to readily litwithin the bore 17, surmounted by the metal screw shell 19 adapted to receive the threaded base of an electric lamp of any well known type (not shown), and a center contact 2O for the lamp. A bottom insulating button 21 is provided, larger in diameter than the top button 18. These buttons 18 and 21 are spaced apart by a pair of side members 22 of insulating material. Between the side members is a compartment 23 to contain the working mechanism 24 of the pull chain switch shown. This mechanism is of any well known type and forms no part of t-he present invention. The chain 25 for operating the switch passes vertically downward thru a central bore 26 in the bottom button 21 and hence downward from the center of this button, the bottom of which may be shaped to any suitable pleasing conliguration as shown at 27.

The upper button 18 is provided with a transverse rib 28 on its bottom surface to space apart the side members 22 and the bottom button 21 is provided with a similar rib 29 for the same purpose, which rib extends on one side to the edges of the members 22, as shown at 30 in Figure 2, whereas the other side extends clear to the edge of the button as shown at 31 in Figures 1 and 3. The end 31 of the rib is considerably higher than the main portion thereof.

The construction `of the socket structure is substantially identical with that of the well known candle fixture socket with the exception of the bot-tom button which has just been described, the parts being all held together by a pair of side straps 32, but one of which is shown in Figure 1, each strap being secured by screws or other suitable fastening means to both buttons and one of the side members 22. The straps Yconstitute conducting mem bers for the socket and are each provided -with a terminal 33 to receive one of the conductor wires 341 for supplying current to the lamp. These wires conveniently pass thru a perforation 35 extending thru the base plate 17 forms a stop to limit the upward movement of the socket by cooperating with the upper surface of the bottom button. A channel 38 the wall of the sleeve 16 to receive the pro- Y jection 31 on the rib 29 of the bottom button and the side walls of this channel snugly engage the sides of the projection to prevent rotation of the socket structure within the sleeve. Two additional channels or extensions of the counter-bore are provided at 39 and 4() to allow space for the conductor wires 34 between the socket-construction and the wall of the bore of the sleeve in order that the socket can conveniently be wired when drawn downward substantially out of the sleeve and then slipped into position with the conductors passing thru these channels 39 and l0 and into the perforation 35 as previously described.

To retain the socket struct-ure in position in the sleeve and at the saine time to provide a neat nish for the fixture, a lamp ring l1 is provided, internally threaded as at 42, for engagement with the threads on the outside of the screw shell 19 of the socket which is of such a length as to project sutliciently above the top edge 43 of the sleeve 1G to be readily engaged by this lamp ring. The ring is preferably, b ut notnecessarily, made from the same material as the remainder of the rxtureand has a bottom diameter substantially thesame as the outside ofthe sleeve and thus forms a pleasing continuation of the same. The outer surface of vthe ring is then drawn outwardly as atlll to form a cup somewhat like the drip cup for a candle. The upper surface .l5 of the ring is substantially spherical to closely engage the walls ofa spherical or globular lamp bulb to make a neat finish between'the bulb and the liXtnre. lVhen the lamp ring 11 is screwed on the screw shell 19, its bottom edge 46 engages the top edge 43 of the sleeve 1G and thus draws the socket lstincture within the sleeve until the top of the bottom button 21 engages against the shoulder between the bore and counterbore'and thus securely holds the whole structure together.

lf it is desired to use a shade with the lixture, thelamp ring llmay be replaced by the shade holder ring L17 shown in Figure l. lhisis 'substantiallyI identical in construction to the lamp ring but its upper surface 48 is flat and surrounded by a. circumferen tial flange t9 receiving thru its walls screws 50 for engagement with'the flange on the base of the shade to secure it in position in a well known manner. The screws 50 are received in threadedvsleeves' 51, passing thru openings in the flangellQ and headed over as at 52. The inside heads 53 of these sleeves are preferablyv non-circular and lit in recesses in the `flange 19 to prevent rotation therein.

In order to operate the switch mechanism and to add to the appearance of the completed fixture, the pull chain 25 is provided with a large pendant 541 ofmaterialv similar toV that forming the main portion of the fixture. This pendant is provided with a longitudinal bore adapted to snugly receive the chain 25. The lower end is counter-bored as at 56 to receive a clip or securing device 57 which is placed on the chain when the same has its lower end passed clear thru the pendant and is then drawn in and abuts the shoulder between the bore and the counter-bore and securely fastens the chain to the pendant. lhis clip 57 is tubular in form and provided with a constricted upper end having a hole therein of a size to receive a connecting link between bals of the chain. The clip is slitted as at 58 from the opening in the top clear to the bottom so that it can be slipped over the bottom ball of the chain to the position shown in the iigure. A washer 59 of fiber or the like may be slipped over the chain before the pendant is put in position to prevent contact between two hard surfaces viz, the bottom of the button 2l and the top of the pendant 54- when the pendant is released and rapidly drawn upward under the action of the ratchet return spring 6() in the switch mechanism.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. ln a lighting ifiXture, in combination, a base adapted to be secured against wall, a sleeve of insulating material thereon having an opening separate from the base, a socket structure having an insulating base adapted to be received in said sleeve opening from an end thereof with said insulating base abutting said end, a screw shell on said socket structure, and an insulating ring engaging the threads of said screw shell and said sleeve to retain said socket structure in said ring.

2. ln a lighting` fixture, in combination, a base adapted to be secured against a wall, a sleeve of insulating material thereon and having an opening separate from the base, a socket structure adapted to be received in said sleeve opening from one end thereof and to abut said end, a screw shell on said socket structure, an. insulatiifig` ring engaging the threads of said screw shell to retain said socket structure in said sleeve, said insulating ring having means thereon to secure a shade in position.

3. ln a lighting fixture, in combination a base adapted to be secured against a wall, a sleeve thereon having` a bore, said base having a perforation leading from the back to said bore, a socket structure of a size to closely fit said bore and having exposed .current carrying parts, said structure being ieceived in said sleeve to support the same and protect said current carrying parts, positive means to prevent relative longitudinal and rotational inovement between said sleeve and socket structure, a. screw shell on said socket structure and means engagea-ble with said screw shell and one end of said sleeve to retain said socket structure in position.

4E. A wall iiXture including an insulating sleeve, a socket structure adapted to lit in the bore thereof, said socket structure including a bottom button of insulating material, a top button of insulating material, a rib on the facing side of each button, a pair of insulating blocks spacing said buttons and themselves being spaced by said ribs, said sleeve having a counter bore to receive said bottom button and a slot in the wall of said main bore to receive said rib on said bottom button to prevent rotation thereof.

5. ik wall fixture including an insulating sleeve having a longitudinal bore to receive a socket structure and a transverse bore thru one wall thereof to receive circuit wires, a socket structure adapted to fit in said bore, an enlarged bottom button on said socket structure adapted to engage said sleeve, circuit terminals on said socket structure and channels connecting said transverse bore to the end of said bore to allow wires to pass to said terminals during assembly.

G. il wall fixture including an insulating sleeve having a longitudinal bore to receive a socket structure and a transverse bore thru one wall thereof to r. ceive circuit wiies, a socket structure of substantially cylindrical form adapted to fit in said bore, an enlarged bottom button on said socket structure adapted to fit in a counter bore in said sleeve, circuit terminals on said socket structure and channels connecting said transverse bore to said counter bore to allow wires to pass to said terminals during assembly after wiring, said bottoni button having a central bore forming a chain guide.

7. ln a. lighting fixture, in combination, a base adapted to be secured against a wall, a sleeve thereon having a bore therethrough, a socket structure including an insulating basel and a screw shell adapted to snugly iit said bore, said sleeve being positioned to receive said socket when the base is mounted on a wall, the end of said insulating base opposite said screw shell having an enlargement to limit the movement of said socket structure into said sleeve, and a ring of insulating material having threaded engagement with said screw shell and directly abutting said sleeve.

8. A wall iiirture including a sleeve, a socket structure adapted to tit in the bore thereof, a button on one end of said socket structure having a passage therein forming a chain guide, a switch on said socket structure, an operating chain therefor emerging through said passage, said button forming a stop to limit the entrance of said socket sti'ucture into'said bore, and means engaging the opposite end of said socket structure and sleeve to retain said button against said sleeve.

9. A wall fixture including a sleeve having a main bore, a socket structure adapted to lit in the bore thereof, a button on one end of said socket structure of a diameter greater than said bore to limit the entrance of said socket structure therein7 means on said structure ad @ted to engage said sleeve to positively prevent rotation oit said socket structure in said sleeve and terminals on said structure Within said sleeve.

lO. ln a lighting fixture, in combination, a base, a tube of insulating material supported thereon, a socketstruoture mostly Within said tube and havingl a screw Shell and an insulating body of substantially the same diameter7 the bore ol the tube being of just suc-h diameter as to freely accommodate said body and shell, means on said body engaging said tube to limit the movement of the body into the tube, and a ring threaded on said screw shell and abutting the opposite end of said tube.

ln testimony whereof l hereunto aliiX my signature.

EVA C. THOMPSON,

' Eeeuri of the Estate of the late Don N.

Thompson, Deceased. 

